Bottle stopper



Marh 2 ,1926. 5

o. EICK BOTTLE STOPPER- Filed August 27, 1925 INVENTOR c 2 I 8 BY ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 2, 1926.

UNITED PATENT owe more or ST. LOUIS, Mrssooiu.

App1ieatioii'fi1ei1 August 27, 1925. set-m1 no. 52*,9108.

inents in Bottle Stoppers, of which the'following is 2t specification. V

My invention relates to improve ents in bottle stoppers, and it consists in the com binetions, constructions and arrangements herein deseribed and claimed.

An object of the invention is the provi-i sion of n stopper Which Without the useol eny tools can be quickly and easily applied to or removed frhm bottle of the type that is adapted to have a. crown or cap applied thereto, and which is adapted when in applied position on t bottle neck to seal the mouth of the bottle efi ectively and securely. V

A further object of the invention is the provision of a quickly detachable and attachable bottle stopper having a novel and easily applied fastening device for with the bottle neck to hold the body or settling member of the stopper in position to seal the bottle inoiith. p

A still further object of the invention'is the provision in a stopper of the character desoribed of a novel settling member which is adapted to fit in the mouth or the bottle to seal the letter .z t'the inner side thereof and to be expanded at its inner end eg tinst the inner wen of the bottle neck by'pressure from Within the bottle. v A still further object of theinventibnis the provision of a bottle stopper of the cherttcter deserihed which is thoroughly sanitary, reliable in use, end pmcticztl com filer-"chilly. I p p Other objects and advantages of the invention will beappeirefnt from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is it perspective vievv the iinproved stopper zippliedto a bottle;

Figure 2 is a longitudinzil vertioal section through the sealing n einber oi the stopper, showing the fastening member of the stopper in elevation, v

Figure 3 is a perspective view 0f the stopper detached from the bottle neck and raised from position to east the motel 6f the bottle, ehd

Figii're 4is a plan vietv of thelehg th of Wire of which the fastenihg inehiber of the stopper is formed.

The impreved stopper is adapted for use with at bottle of the type having; a neck 'portioii provided with a m'oiith adapted to be closed by a cap or crown. A bottle of the type just referred to is parti'ztlly sho wh in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, of the drztvvings' ztr'ibl includes it neck portion 1 formed with in external head 2 at the Iiiouth thereof zthd With an external athhular shoiildr 3 tvhich faces in a generally downward directi'oh and is located at a lower level than the beeclQ; i

The body of the improved stbpper chih prises t sealing member or closui e 4; niafcle of rubber or like compressible resilient intiterial and adapted to be forjeed into the mouth of the bottle neck uhtil a flziiige 5 at the outer ehcl of the settling member bears against the outer end of the bottle hecl'z;

The scaliiig member 4 is iornied ivith itn annular marginal settling extehsioii 6 itt its inner end, the inner wan of which is beveled or iiiclinecl inwardly as shown, so thztt the inher diameter of the sealing extension 6 deer-eases. from the outer end to the iiiflei' end of said sealihg' exteiision.

The settling member 4; hits it ce'iitrtl 'cztvity 7 extending from the outer We of the sening member for part of the length at the letter and'enlztrged at ihner e'nd indicated M8 to receive the enlarged iiiiiei' end portion 9 of thevsteni 10 of an tttte'ohing heed 11 -\vliic'h' is made of inetel and is dispasee flittwise against the onter fitce of the sealing thembe'r 1." The attecliifighettd 11 has an integrtl eye portion 12 extending froin the outer face of the ittteching' lie'id centrally of the letter; I

The fastening fiieztiis thitt the inv e htibh provides for securing; the body ofthe stopper in position to close the month ofthe bottle is forined of a single length of spring Wire suoh as is shown in Fig. 4. This length at spring tvire is bent ihterniejdizite the ends thereof to produces; substantially U-sheped bottle neck engaging or clamping member having a Web portion 13 made pair of arms14. The end portions of the length of spring wire are bent rearwardly at their junctures with the arms 14 and extend for a slight distance along the arms 14, thus defining the spring return bend or half loop portions 15. The end portions of the length of spring wire then are bent upwardly at 16 from their junctures with the outer arms of the spring return bend portions 15. One end portion of the length of spring wire then is bent laterally inward across the attaching head 11 and through the eye 12, as indicated at 17, across the outer end of the body of the stopper and finally downward and inward at 18 to position to engage at its extremity with the lower face of the bead 2 on the bottle neck. The other end portion of the length of spring wire is bent from its juncture with the second upwardly extending portion 16 of the fastening device across the outer face of the stopper body, as indicated at 19, being arched at 20 at the center of the outer face of the stop per to clear the eye 12 on the attaching head 11. The extremity of the last named end portion of the length of spring wire then is bent inwardly and downwardly at 21 to engage with the lower face of the bead 2 on the bottle neck at a point on the latter approximately diametrically opposite to the point of engagement of the end portion 18 of the stopper fastening means with the lower face of the head 2. The end portions 18 and 21 therefore may be termed cooperative spring clamping fingers.

The web 13 of the substantially U-shaped neck embracing portion of the stopper fastening means is bent slightly inward intermediate its length as indicated at 22 to provide an additional contact portion for engaging with the bottle neck and to assure a relatively great resistance to any force which tends to spread the arms 14 apart from position to straddle and closely contact with the bottle neck at the juncture of the shoulder 3 with the lower portion of the bottle neck.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood- In applying the stopper to the bottle, the sealing member 4 is forced by manual pressure into the mouth of the bottle neck and the spring fingers 1S and 21 are swung to positions to engage with the lower face of the bead 2. Pressure then is exerted on the web 13 of the substantially U-shaped bottle neck engaging portion of the fastening means until the arms of said substantially U-shaped portion of the fastening means swing inwardly and downwardly in straddling relation to the bottle neck and against the shoulder 3, thus causing a pull to be transmitted through the spring return bend portions 15 and the upwardly extending portions 16 to the upper clamping members 17 and 19. The contact of the spring fingers 18 and 21 with the bead 2 thus will be tightened and the body of the stopper will be pressed to position to seal the mouth of the bottle. When the web 13 of the substantially U-shaped portion of the stopper fastening means is in contact with the bottle neck, the arms of said substantially U-shaped neck embracing portion will be held clamped against the bottle neck also at points slightly beyond the center line of the bottle neck as a result of the spring action of the spring return bend portions 15. The stopper therefore will be securely attached to the bottle neck and held against accidental displacement although it can be instantly detached from the bottle neck as a result of manual action when desired.

The effect of pressure from within the bottle on the sealing member of the improved stopper will be to expand the annular extension 6 against the inner wall of the bottle neck, thus tending to make the sealing action of the stopper more positive than when pressure does not exist in the bottle.

Obviously, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms other than that which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and I therefore consider as my own all such modifications and adaptations thereof as fairly fall within the scope of'the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a stopper, a sealing member adapted to enter the mouth of a bottle, an attaching head superimposed on the sealing member and having a stem secured in'a cavity in the outer end portion of said sealing member, said attaching head having an outwardly extending eye, and a one piece fastem'n member having a substantially U-shape portion for embracing the neck of the bottle against a shoulder on the latter, spring portions for clamping the arms of said substantially U-shapedportion to said bottle neck, end portions engaging the attaching head and adapted to press the sealing member into the mouth of the bottle, said end portions extending transversely across said attaching head and having their extremities adapted to engage with a bead at the outer end of the bottle neck, and other'portions connecting said sealing member pressing portions with said arm actuating spring portions of the fastening member.

2. In a stopper, a sealing member adapted to enter the mouth of a bottle, an attaching head superimposed on the sealing member and having a stem secured in a cavity in the outer end portion of said sealing member, said attaching head having an outwardly extending eye, and a one piece fastening member having a substantially U-shaped portion for embracing the neck of the bottle against a shoulder on the latter, spring portions for clamping the arms of said substantially U-shaped portion to said bottle neck, end portions engaging the attaching head and adapted to press the sealing member inbottle neck, and other portions connecting 10 said sealing member pressing portions with said arm actuating spring portions of the fastening member,one-of said sealing member pressing portions of the fastening member being threaded through said eye of the 15 attaching head.

OTTO EICK. 

